One Canadian, 56 riders, one championship: North Battleford bull rider wins in Montana

“It made us look really good up here, I think.”

For him, the victory was about more than a championship buckle. It was another step in a journey that stretches far beyond Montana, one aimed at reaching the highest levels of professional bull riding.

The opportunity came through a connection he made while attending a bull riding school in Texas. One of the students he met there has since started his own rodeo events and invited Fennig south to compete.

North Battleford bull rider Wyatt Fennig competes at the Blue Creek Rodeo near Billings, Mont., on the weekend of May 30-31, 2026. (Video Credit: Wyatt Fenning)

When he arrived, the Saskatchewan rider quickly realized he was on his own.

“There was a bunch of people, like I was the only Canadian there,” he said. “There wasn’t really anyone that I knew there.”

He spent much of the evening watching riders make their runs while waiting for his turn.

Then came the ride that changed the night.

“The bull I had was kind of all over the place. Kind of hard to ride,” Fennig said. “But I got through it and got off safe and got myself a little bit of money and a buckle.”

Fennig stayed aboard for the required eight seconds and posted a score of 72 points, edging out competitors who finished with scores of 71 and 70.

The championship earned him a custom Montana Silversmiths buckle, which is still being made and will be shipped to Saskatchewan.

But the buckle was never the ultimate goal.

Like countless young hockey players dreaming of the NHL, bull riders have their own destination.

“The NHL of our sport is making it down there to ride in the PBR [Professional Bull Riders] and that’s always been my dream since day one,” Fennig said.

PBR events in the United States feature the world’s top competitors, with riders required to rank among the top 35 in the world standings. It is a level Fennig hopes to reach one day. If not, he said, winning the Canadian PBR circuit would be another major goal.

Wyatt Fennig of North Battleford competes in bull riding during the 54th annual North Battleford Kinsmen Indoor Rodeo at the Access Communications Centre on Friday, April 24, 2026. (Image Credit: Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW)

The weekend in Montana also reinforced something he discovered about the sport and the people who compete in it.

“There isn’t a whole lot of difference between the American and the Canadian bull riders, I’d say, other than the accent,” he said with a laugh.

“The connection between us for sure is that we all love to do the same thing and we all are kind of the same type of people, really friendly.”

Part of that experience came away from the arena itself. During the trip, Fennig met Scott Breding, the American rider who holds the highest-scored bull ride in Canadian history.

For many riders, it would have been a simple introduction. For Fennig, it was a chance to meet someone he had admired for years.

“Scott, he’s a childhood hero of mine when it comes to bull riding world,” he said. “He’s an icon for sure.”

For now, the work continues.

Fennig spends time in the gym, trains on a bucking machine at home and works on the balance required to stay centred atop an animal that can weigh more than 1,500 pounds.

This weekend, he’ll be back on the rodeo trail at another competition in Manitoba.

The championship buckle from Montana has not yet arrived, but he is already looking beyond it.

“It’s just like going to the NHL. They don’t take just anyone down there, right? They take the best of the best that they can find.”

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com

by Kenneth Cheung

One Canadian, 56 riders, one championship: North Battleford bull rider wins in Montana

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